Cleanpeers.com>Articles>Indoor Environmental Polutants
By Traci Isley
There are many pollutants found right in our homes and offices that we may not be aware of, or may consider a problem only for other people, but not ourselves. Common pollutants include but are not limited to: animal dander, dust mites, mold, mildew, pollen, infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses and chemicals that may be stored in the home or office. These are defined as “pollutants, toxins, biohazards” they are all derived from organic sources, some living and some decaying.
Many effects of these pollutants or
“toxins” as the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) calls them go
unrecognized in our lives and those of our clients for what they are. We need
to educate our clients and our staff on the information they may lack. Some
excellent sites for more in depth studies are: www.mold-help.org, www.epa.gov.
Common effects and
reactions are as follows:
There are some simple steps you can take to reduce the levels of these pollutants in your home. According to the EPA the number one way to reduce the levels is through moisture control. Moisture levels should be kept at 50% or below to aid in the reduction of many indoor pollutants. The second most recommended way to affect the levels is through using protective coverings for mattresses and pillows. All studies indicate that proper cleaning and removal of these substances affect the levels and return rate in the home or office.
That is where we, as professional service providers, come into play. I’m thinking of changing my job title to “Professional Indoor Bio-Hazard Analyst” or perhaps “Indoor Toxicologist”. A little wordy and pretentious… but none the less true… IF I choose to act on what I know. There are many ways we can benefit our clients that are easy to implement and cost nothing in terms of supplies. There are specialized cleaning agents and tools we employ regularly in our work that can alternately increase or minimize the levels of such contaminants on the job. There are additional services we can provide to clients that can greatly increase our value while not incurring overwhelming costs. Want to know more? Great! The next article will break down these toxins and effective ways to minimize their effects on clients and us.
Animal Dander: This is actually dead tissue from our pets that we come in contact with through touch and inhalation. It can be skin, feathers, or hair, but all pets’ produce it and it affects can be more serious than you think.
Dust Mites: Ewww… this is decayed microscopic “bugs” (in lay terms, actually they are a subspecies of arachnids) and their fecal matter. This is one of the major factors for problems in asthmatics, but is certainly not limited to people with this ailment.
Mold: A microscopic fungi. While most of us think of mold as a nasty green spot on an old loaf of bread, this is not the only type of mold we face. Mold can have SEVERE heath effects, and we may not even know it’s there.
Mildew: This is a by-product of microscopic fungi found mostly on decaying organic materials.
(We will address pollen, bacteria, viruses and chemicals in a future article.)
We will also discuss what we as service providers can do to heighten awareness, increase our value to the client, reduce the levels and recurrence of contaminants, and broaden our horizons as we grow our businesses. One of the best products we can invest in are HEPA filter vacuum cleaners. These are excellent at removal of pet dander, mold spores, dust, pollen, etc. (While a vacuum cleaner can’t remove the dust mites in the carpet they CAN remove the nutrient sources, thus lessening the level and recurrence of the mites themselves.) The importance of HEPA is the major reduction of microscopic particles being re-released into the air through poor seals and cheap vacuum bags. Allergy Solutions, Allergy Buyers Club, and Allergy Consumer Review all recommend frequent vacuuming to control allergens. Now don’t panic… while some HEPA vacs can be pricey, I did promise “low cost” solutions. With minimal research I’ve found several from 129.00 to 159.00 not that much more than a decent standard upright cleaner.
Traci Isley
A Cleaner Solution